Northern Arizona University Puts Innovation Into Action with Willow

Laying a solid foundation for transformation

After creating this initial momentum, the facilities, sustainability, and IT teams continued to identify new opportunities for innovation, such as leveraging occupancy data and dynamic grid interactions. They noted the fundamental shift in dynamically managing campus buildings based on their usage. According to education research and technology leader EAB, the increases in remote and hybrid work have reduced usage of academic and administrative offices to around 50%. With this in mind, NAU worked with Willow to integrate existing wireless infrastructure, in-room classroom systems and sensors, and a campus-wide scheduling platform to capture real-time occupancy data.

They then used Willow to correlate this data with HVAC system performance to identify energy-saving opportunities. By implementing setbacks in building control systems, NAU optimized HVAC settings across hundreds of rooms, unlocking significant savings. These adjustments are now automated daily, advancing NAU’s Climate Action Plan goals.

The digital twin has also allowed the team to shift away from the university’s previous reactive stance. “We can see the anomalous events as they happen and get them into the hands of engineers and tradespeople, who can act proactively,” Burrell says.

In addition, Willow’s ability to connect multiple data sets—like utility billing, metering, BMS, and occupancy patterns—into a single platform and deliver them as actionable insights has increased efficiency and decreased the number of recurring issues. “It’s fundamentally shifted how we spend our time, from managing the arduous task of collecting, manipulating and reporting data, to actually taking actions on that data to positively impact our sustainability goals and programs,” Burrell explains.

Pioneering new use cases for a future-ready campus

Now, NAU’s actions can extend far beyond optimizing individual buildings. The team is eager to incorporate real-time grid CO2 emissions data into their operations, for example. This capability will not only enhance sustainability reporting but also help NAU understand how shifting and shaping building loads can drive further energy savings.

“Willow has enabled us to transition from reactive maintenance to proactive management,” Burrell noted. “We’re not just solving immediate challenges; we’re building a platform that supports the future of our campus.”

Although many of NAU’s technology investments happen behind the scenes, these new capabilities also help NAU technicians do their physical jobs more efficiently.

It used to take someone years—if not decades—to learn all the ins and outs of managing HVAC on campus. Now, frontline workers can access the information they need to learn fast, and Burrell says they can activate people quickly. “We can give that experience to an individual new on the job within the first week of them being here.”

The team is excited to implement other efficiencies that will help technicians. One of these is Willow Copilot, where technicians can use a natural language chat to ask questions about their facilities and buildings that they would otherwise have to chase down the information.

A strong partnership for a smarter tomorrow

None of these successes would have been possible without NAU’s strategic partnership with Willow.

“Willow has been really good at asking us the right questions and presenting the right ‘what-ifs,’ listening to us, and demonstrating how to solve our problems,” Burrell says. “They’ve been very agile, engaged, and collegial in that process, which is the kind of partner we’re looking for.”

With Willow’s support, NAU has invested in a foundation that will support all new builds, with data from every new building flowing into their existing infrastructure. What’s more, NAU researchers are repurposing campus data from Willow and incorporating a read-only version into curricula across various university departments to prepare career-ready graduates.

With its forward-thinking approach to data integration, energy management, and AI-driven tools, NAU is building a smarter, more sustainable future and setting a new standard for sustainability and innovation in higher education.